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(No Model.)

T. BLROGERS & S. H. BARTLETT.

' GAME'APPARATUS.

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UNITED STATES FFiCE'.

PATENT TnOMAs 1;. ROGERS, OF BROOKLYN, AND SAMUEL n. BARTLETT, OE NEw YORK, N. Y.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,011, dated March 19, 1889.

Application filed May 1, 1888. Serial No. 272,483. (No model.)

T0 (6 whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS B. ROGERS, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, and SAMUEL H. BARTLETT, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Dials and Pointers for Use as a Game; andwe do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of our electric pointer and dial; Fig. 2, a similar elevation, with the dialplate removed, illustrating the movements of the apparatus; Fig. 3, a vertical section in line-x a of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a detached longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale, of the sleeve carrying the pointer and its ratchet-wheel and of the pivot upon which. it revolves. Fig. 5 is a detached view, 011 an enlarged scale, of the swinging pivoted pawl engaging the ratchet and of its spring attachment; and Fig. (3, a detached view showing a modification in the suspension of the pawllever and adjustment of the pawl pivoted thereto.

Similar letters indicate like parts in all of the figures.

Our invention relates to a game-wheel or apparatus for use as a game in which an impulse is imparted to a revolving pointer by a simple mechanical device, whereby its revolution is produced over a series of numbers, at one of which it will finally stop, the purpose of the game being to cause the pointer to turn and stop at the highest number, the sum of the numbers indicated by the pointer after a given number of impulses have been imparted thereto by each player serving to determine the winning side.

Our invention consists in the combination, with a balanced pointer fitted to a sleeve mounted to turn freely upon a fixed spindle or pivot-pin, which carries a ratchet -Wheel fixed thereto in manner substantially as found in game-wheels now in use, and with an oscillating lever suspended in position to swing to and from the ratchet-wheel, and a device for producing a sudden forward movement of the lover, of a pawl pivoted to said lever and a spring governing the pawl, so as to bring its forward end in proper position to actuate the ratchet. I

It consists, also, in the combination, with the governing-spring attached to the pawl pivoted to the oscillating lever, of a pivoted arm to which the end of the spring is fastened and by which its position and consequently the relation of the pawl which it actuates to the ratchet may be adjusted at pleasure; and it consists, furthermore, in the combination, with the oscillating pawl-lever, of an electromagnet adapted to attract the same, a battery to excite the magnet, and a metallic circuit including the magnet, the battery, and a switch, so that by closing the circuit the lever will be moved and the pointer actuated.

In the accompanying drawings, A A represent a case having a circular glass-covered front, B, under which is fitted a suitable dialplate, 0, having a series of numbers marked in a circle upon its face near its outer rim. Any desired series or arrangement of numbers may be employed. In the arrangement illustrated the lowest number, I, and the hi ghest, 100, are placed at diametrically-opposite points on the circle, and the intermediate numbers are placed arbitrarily, so that there shall be alternately a high and a low number in succession around the entire circle, as shown in Fig. 1.

A pivot-pin,D,is inserted through the dialplate at the center of the circle of numbers, and is driven or screwed into the back A of the case, and upon this pivot-pin D is fitted loosely a sleeve, E, upon whose outer end is fixed a balanced hand or pointer, F, made long enough at one end to sweep over the numbers 011 the dial as the sleeve revolves upon the pin. The two arms of this pointer are so counterpoised as that the pointer will turn freely and evenly upon its pivot without tendency to cease its movement at any given point because of any difference in the weight of its two ends.

G is a ratchet-Wheel fixed upon the sleeve E near to its inner end.

His an oscillating lever so suspended at one end to the back plate, A, of the case as to allow its opposite end to swing freely toward the ratchet-wheel G. Upon the free end IOO of this oscillating lever ll. is pivoted a slender pawlpla-te, l, in position to permit the front end thereof to strike at a tangent the teeth of the ratchet-wheel G when the rod ll is svv'ung toward the ratchet. The front end of the pawl is tipped more or less dmvnward to engage the ratchet by means of a delicate spiral spring, J, attached to its opposite end, so as to lift it more or less. This spring may be extended and made fast to the oscillating lever at a point removed from the pivot of the pawl, as shown in Fig. 6, in which case the play of the pawl under the influence of the spring is limited by a stop, Y; or 'it may be extended in a right line with the length of the pawl and made fast to the case, or, preterably, to the free end of an arm, K, pivoted to the back A of the case, as shown in Figs. 2 and hen the spring J is thus fixed to an arm, K, the forward end of the pawl. may be adjusted to strike more or less directly the teeth of the ratchet by moving the end of said arm to one side or the other of a direct line extending from its pivot to the pivot of the pawl, (see Fig. 5,) and a delicate adjustment of. the pawl with reference to the ratchet be thus obtained.

The spring .l, when made fast to a point outside of the pawl-lever ll, as to the arm K, (see l i g. 2,) operates to retract the pawl from the ratchet, its back movement being arrested by means of a stop, L, engaging the pawl-lever, or the lever may be hung in position to swing backward from the ratchet by its gravity to rest in proximity to the magnet M against a stop, L, as shown in Fig. 0, and with or without a co-operating spring, \V, as illustrated in the same Fig. (3, the weight of the lever being therein shown as coacting with the spring. \Vith the device thus constructed a slight movement of the pawl-lever II will cause the pawl I to strike the ratchet wheel G in such manner as to make its sleeve E, and the pointer carried thereby, revolve upon the pin D with more or less rapidity, according to the force of the lll'lPUlSO, the weight of the balanced pointer serving to give it sufficient momentum after its inertia is overcome to cause it to revolve for a longer or slujn-tcr time after it has received its impulse. The pawl. is brought into line of engagement with the ratchet by the tension of the spring J but if the lever ll be held in its forward position, so as to hold the pawl in contact with the ratchet-wheel after the lat ter has received its impulse and is revolving, the spring will allow the pawl to give and to ride so lightly upon the wheel as not to retard its movement materially. "lhe spring J operates not only to hold the pawl in line of action, but also to retract it the instant the application of force to the pawl-lever H is discontinued.

\l'e eontranplatc various means for imparting a quick l'mrward movement to the pawllever ll-as, for example, a simple rod, T,

may be made to project outward through the side of the case A and to extend inward into contact with the pawl-lever ll in. position to push it toward the ratchet-wheel, and, being automatically forced outwardly by means of a spring, V, a quick push or stroke upon its outer end will so move the pawl-lever ll as to cause it, by means of the intermediate pawl, l, to propel the ratchetrwheel G. An electromagnet, M, may be usedwhich is so secured at the back of the case in front of the pawl-lever l I as that said lever shall become an armature for the magnet and be attracted thereto whenever the magnct is excited. The apparatus in such case is made complete by means of a battery, N, of any approved form, which may be compactly stored in a compartment, 1, formed to receive it at the rear of the dialcase A A, (see Fig. 3,) and which connected in circuit by wires R R with the magnet and with an ordinary push-button, S, or other simple form of switch or circuit-closing device. The stroke of the lever II is thus made dependent upon the strength of the battery, and will vary only as there may occur variations in the intensity of the current which will be wholly independent of the control or will of the operator, who may close the circuit by touching the button S.

In the use of the apparatus it may be suspended upon a wall and the cireuitwires R R extended so that the push-button S will be brought within easy reach of a person sitting or standing before the instrument. By pressing upon the button S the electric circuit will. be closed and. the electro-magnet thereby made to attract with a sudden impulse the pawl-lever II. The pawl will thus be made to strike the ratchet with a sharp quick blow, which will cause the pointer carried by the journal-sleeve, to which the ratchet is fitted, to spin. around over the dial. So soon as the circuit is opened and the pawl-lever ll set free the spring actuating the lever will automatically retract the pawl in readiness for an other movement thereof. As the pointer loses its momentum it will finally cease its rotation and come to a stop over some one of the numbers. The particular number which the pointer will thus select each time it is actuated will, when the device is properly adjusted, be determined wholly as a matter of chance beyond the control of the operator.

It is evident that any desired characters may be substituted for the numbers upon the face of the dial in position to be selected at random by a revoluti on of the pointer in manner as described.

\Ve are aware that it is not new to combine in a game-wheel a revolving pointer or disk with a ratchet-wheel actuated by a pawl. adapted to he suddenly thrown into engage ment with the ratchet, so as to produce a rotation of the wheel or pointer. Our invention relates to the improvement, hercinbefore described, in the means of adjustin and gow ICC erning the actuating-pawl and of imparting a definite impulse thereto; and

WVe claim as our invention- 1. The combination of a dial, a balanced pointer revolving over its face, a ratchetwheel carried by the pointer, an electro-magnet, a swinging lever serving as the armature for the electro-magnet, a pawl pivoted to the free end of the lever in position to strike the ratchet tangentially in the movement of the lever, a battery included with the magnet in an electric circuit, and a switch device for opening and closing said circuit, all substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. The combination, with the ratchet-wheel G, the swinging lever H, the pawl I, pivoted to said lever in position to be swung by the lever tangentially against the teeth of the ratchet, and the retracting-spring J, attached to the outer end of said pivoted oscillating pawl, of apivoted arm, K, to which the opposite end of the spring is attached for adj ustment, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the'presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS E. ROGERS. SAMUEL H. BARTLETT.

\Vitn esses:

A. N. J ESBERA, E. M. WATSON. 

